USTR Weekly E-Newsletter

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Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Ambassador Ron Kirk | Executive Office of the President | www.ustr.gov http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DM5fdih2tNhBU1rnG5wYtkliRDcDYZuqbKkVD2J2Edcv55V1sGsXMNS_Amtwb3937zl4Fq7ZvKjJpdNRsC0VmidThHjzUbjfr9qBZ2ygR2I=

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Engagement | 202.395.6120 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 14, 2012

Volume 139 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Announcements for the Week of June 8 - 14 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Statement on Russia Trade Bill

June 12 - This morning, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk welcomed the introduction in the Senate of a bill to terminate the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment and authorize the President to extend permanent normal trade relations to Russia.

"We welcome the introduction of this bill as Russia is poised to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) this summer. Passing this bill will ensure that U.S. businesses, ranchers, farmers, and workers will not be at a disadvantage in the Russian market compared to their global competitors. We will continue to work with Congress so that Americans can reap the full benefits of Russia's WTO membership." ================================================================================

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USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson Host Meeting of Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC)

June 13 - Ambassador Kirk and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson hosted a meeting of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC) on June 11th at USTR. TEPAC is comprised of a broad range of representatives from non-governmental organizations, the private sector, think tanks, and academia, and provides policy advice on issues relating to trade and the environment. Ambassador Kirk provided TEPAC with an update on the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and commented that "interest [in the negotiations] is growing exponentially." Ambassador Kirk also provided updates on the trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama, and on recent developments in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, including a read-out of the APEC Trade Ministers' meeting in Kazan, Russia.

Ambassador Kirk and Administrator Jackson Co-host the TEPAC Meeting at USTR

Administrator Jackson explained how environmental standards can help drive innovation and markets. She provided a report on the EPA's export promotion initiative, including a report on the EPA Technology Market Summit, as well as information on work being undertaken in the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation. Following their remarks, Ambassador Kirk and Administrator Jackson engaged in an informative discussion with TEPAC members, which touched on a broad range of trade and environment matters. ================================================================================

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Trade Stakeholders Express Support for Legislation to Terminate Jackson-Vanik Application to Russia

June 13 - On June 12, 2012 a bipartisan group of senators proposed legislation to terminate the application to Russia of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The Jackson-Vanik Amendment is a 1970s-era provision that conditions U.S. trade relations with specific countries on their meeting certain requirements, including allowing free emigration. The conditions in the Jackson-Vanik Amendment would prevent the U.S. from extending unconditional permanent normal trade relations to Russia as required by the WTO Agreement.

Passing the proposed legislation will clear the path for U.S. businesses, farmers, and workers to have the same access to Russia's markets as their foreign competitors, and will position those same stakeholders to reap the full benefits of Russia's upcoming WTO membership.

Click here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DM5fdih2tNjkXQgPo5xHv3fEgt_clk2W2Iw9def7XSvEErtGVlOrx4isO6X58VHPZE6KpT9E433AthSpriqEOWZtL4EF-Usj4fVpYsKXf7NRXlrhj3UcWE7sA8ItOK4Ez3LgoLB9-SXJona4Lu73f0qRqZZlAK8apeDYI-KVoTH1aUZBGbDIlER4xK_6PsiL6k-eS_O2xngOhczE1mQ0yZ450hdp_cUQLLhmFkYPF3w= to view statements of support from a wide range of trade stakeholders. ================================================================================

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Assistant U. S. Trade Representative Cutler Meets with Korean Journalists to Discuss the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement

June 14 - On Wednesday, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Affairs Wendy Cutler met with a group of visiting Korean journalists here at USTR. Ms. Cutler was the chief negotiator of the recently implemented U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement, the first U.S. trade agreement with a North Asian country. During the meeting, Ms. Cutler lauded the close working relations between the two countries that made the groundbreaking agreement possible and said that it is being implemented smoothly. She described successful meetings of the various joint committees that are helping to ensure implementation continues to go smoothly. She also emphasized the mutual benefits the trade agreement provides, especially for U.S. and Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises. Two-way trade has already increased since implementation this March, a trend that is expected to continue as the agreement reaches its full potential.

Assistant USTR for Japan, Korea & APEC affairs Wendy Cutler Meets with a Group of Visiting Korean Journalists at USTR.

The journalists are participating in "Bridging the Gaps in Understanding between Korea and the United States," a two-week exchange program that has brought seven South Korean journalists to the U.S. to meet with leaders in business, government, non-governmental organizations, and other members of the community. Seven U.S. journalists are currently on a similar tour through South Korea. The goal of this program is to promote awareness of the political, economic, security, cultural and social issues of each country. ================================================================================

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Ambassador Kirk Speaks at the University of Texas Summer Speaker Series Kickoff Event.

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk Participates in the University of Texas' Summer Speaker Series at the Archer Center in Washington, D.C. ================================================================================

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USTR Hosts Call with Trade Committee Advisors on Consultations with Non-Committee Members

June 14 - On Tuesday, June 12th, United States Trade Representative Chief Counsel for Administrative Law Dave Apol and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement hosted a phone call with more than 80 Trade Advisory Committee members. All Trade Advisory Committees were invited to participate, and members from all committees were represented on the call.

The phone call was scheduled to address questions about how members of advisory committees can consult with non-committee members and constituents regarding certain documents or meetings. Participants on the call discussed the advisors' role as representatives of their organizations and respective sectors, and the necessity of communication between advisors, their constituents, and USTR. During the call Mr. Apol provided examples of various scenarios and answered questions from the committee members. ================================================================================

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IN THIS ISSUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Statement on Russia Trade Bill ================================================================================

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USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson Host Meeting of Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC)

Trade Stakeholders Express Support for Legislation to Terminate Jackson-Vanik Application to Russia

Assistant U. S. Trade Representative Cutler Meets with South Korean Journalists to Discuss the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement

Ambassador Kirk Speaks at the University of Texas Summer Speaker Series Kickoff Event.

USTR Hosts Call with Trade Committee Advisors on Consultations with Non-Committee Members ================================================================================

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RECENT EVENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ambassador Kirk met with Chief Executive Officers from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Ambassador Kirk and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson co-hosted the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC) Meeting.

Ambassador Kirk met with Liberian President H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Ambassador Kirk gave remarks at the American Turkish Council Conference Annual Luncheon.

Ambassador Kirk gave remarks at the University of Texas Summer Speaker Series Kickoff Event.

Ambassador Punke participated in the World Trade Organization's Trade Policy Review of China.

Ambassador Siddiqui and U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Michael Scuse delivered remarks at an International Trade Roundtable Discussion during the Western Governors Association Meeting.

Ambassador Kirk gave remarks at a Brookings Institution event entitled: "The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act: Looking Back, Looking Forward".

Ambassador Sapiro met with Turkish Ambassador to the United States Namik Tan.

Ambassador Sapiro met with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.

Ambassador Siddiqui and Under Secretary Scuse held a roundtable meeting with agricultural stakeholders at the Wheat Marketing Center.

Ambassador Siddiqui participated in a roundtable discussion with Oregon wine producers on expanding agricultural exports.

Ambassador Kirk gave remarks at a morning plenary session at the AGOA Forum at the State Department.

Ambassadors Kirk and Marantis will participate in bilateral meetings at the AGOA Forum at the State Department.

Ambassador Siddiqui delivered remarks at the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council's National Conference.

Ambassadors Kirk and Marantis continued participation in bilateral meetings at the AGOA Forum at the State Department.

Ambassador Punke will participate in the World Trade Organization's Trade Policy Review of China.

Ambassador Marantis gave remarks at the AGOA Forum closing ceremony at the State Department. ================================================================================

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